The Nintendo DS came out in the fall of 2004, and it brought with it numerous games worthy of purchase. At launch, the must-have game for most people was probably Super Mario 64 DS, which has sold around 1.1 million copies, dwarfing all other DS game sales. However, DS system owners had to wait several more months before a few truly innovative games finally made their arrival on the DS. The system has its fair share of ports from other platforms, but the games that live off the beaten path are the ones that make the DS such a great system. These new games pushed gameplay in different directions through excellent use of the DS's features: the touch screen, microphone, and dual screens. Highly rated games like Nintendogs, which has sold 600,000 copies since its launch in late August, don't exist in any form on any console aside from the DS. Then there are the zany games like Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney that make you say "huh?" but offer compelling gameplay once you get started. Popular franchises like Mario Kart DS and Animal Crossing DS bring their own charm to the console, making the DS a must-have for longtime Nintendo fans.

One glance at the PSP game library is enough to prove that the system lives up to its PlayStation Portable name. The PSP game roster contains many franchises that have a rich PlayStation history. Sony launched the system with racing games like Need for Speed Underground Rivals, Wipeout Pure, and Ridge Racer which sold a combined total of 830,000 copies. Sony also had sports fans covered with Tiger Woods PGA Tour, World Tour Soccer, and Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Remix. PSP owners experienced a game drought during the summer months after the spring launch, but that turned out to be a brief lull before the deluge. In September, October, and November, 27 PSP games hit store shelves, eight of which scored higher than an 8.0 on GameSpot. This sudden torrent of good games put the DS and the PSP on even ground. The vast majority of games on the PSP are based on game franchises developed for home consoles but adapted to portable play. If you're looking for familiar console-style games in portable form, the PSP might be right for you. However, you might be better off with the DS if you want unique games that can't be found on any other systems.